For What It's Worth
by Kodachrome
Summary: A chance encounter with Puppetmon leaves Matt a little worse for wear, while T.K. ponders why he left in the first place. A 'what-if' fic supposedly taking place after the ep. Trash Day. Warning: Matt/Tk brotherly love ahead.^_^


A/N: Behold! My oneshot, what-if fic! Okay, fair warning: set in season 1, mostly involves Matt/T.K. (my two fav subjects. Haha!) And it's supposed to coincide with the Trash Day ep and The Ultimate Clash ep…so don't get to the ending and ask me what happens next.lol. ^_^ And being as this is a what-if fic, the events don't actually mesh with those of the series. *shrugs* For that I'd either have to re-write the story (which I don't want to do) or re-write the series (O_O)

To **raine**, I added some Tai/T.K. goodness just for you! Thanx for the feedback.

To **Sailormoonshadow** thanx for putting up w/ me on the IM..hehe…and all the wonderful words of praise! ^_^

BTW!! There's a contest you readers need to know about! So following the fic will be the rules and what not.

Disclaimer:  Yes, I do not own Digimon.

***The long black lines denote a flashback sequence. I have no idea why they turned out that way, but that's what it means.

T.K. paced back and forth warily, as the winds picked up and the sky turned a foreboding gray. Atop his head rested his faithful digimon partner, Patamon. The small creature wore an expression of concern, as it had been many hours that the youngest of the digidestined spent trudging to and fro underneath the cluster of trees they had chosen as their campsite.

"He'll be back." T.K. would often mumble to himself, his mind focusing on only one thing.

"T.K.?" Patamon squeaked, peering over the edge of the boy's hat.

"Oh…" the golden-haired child answered, as if returning from a daze. "I forgot you were there." A faint smile passed over his lips, but as quickly as it had come, it faded back into the gloom, as the sun above them hid among the clouds.

"What's wrong T.K.?" the tiny creature inquired.

T.K. sighed and glanced back towards the campsite. There sat the rest of his friends. Tai, their so-called leader stoking the flames of the campfire with a long stick, as his digimon partner, Agumon curled up beside him. Sora, the auburn-haired tomboy with a heart of gold, sat across from him with her faithful bird digimon Biyomon in her lap. Izzy, the undisputed brains of the group sat close by under a large oak tree, tapping away furiously at the keys of his computer. His insect-like partner hovered over him, involved in their usual repartee.  Mimi, who was as sweet and gentle as a princess sat in front of a patch of flowers nearby, humming to her plant-like friend Palmon, as she intertwined the stems of select flora to make a bracelet. And finally his eyes rested on Joe, taking inventory of the items in his satchel. Joe was said to bear the crest of reliability, but T.K.'s mind perceived that to mean that he was the one that you could rely on to run screaming from an attack. His aquatic friend, Gomamon was busy trading quips with the feline digimon, Gatomon.

Once again, his eyes roved over the campsite, searching for someone who was missing.

"Where's Kari?" he asked, ignoring the previous question.

Patamon perked himself up and gazed around. Where _was_ Tai's little sister?

"T.K.?" another voice called to him, startled, the young boy whirled around and came face to face with a brown-haired girl, about his height, with sparkling chocolate-colored eyes. It was as if she had appeared out of thin air, or at least that's how he tried to explain it to himself.

The blonde boy nearly stumbled backwards, but quickly regained his stature.

"K-Kari?" he stuttered. "Where did you come from?"

"I've been watching you. You look sad." She said, her eyes filled with sincerity.

When the young boy did not reply, Kari went on. "Do you miss your brother? Is that why you are all by yourself?"

"Hey!" Patamon blurted in an offended tone.

"I'm sorry." Kari smiled at the bat-winged creature and reached up to pat him on the head. "What I meant was, is that why you are keeping your distance from the other kids?"

T.K. cast his eyes to the ground, his lower lip quivered slightly.

"You know he'll be back, right?" she murmured, this statement caught his attention, and T.K. looked back up at the girl hopefully.

"You think so? Wait…how do you know for sure?" The boy prodded, almost wanting to believe her, but still unable to accept defeat over his own sense of self-pity.

"Of course he'll come back. Tai would never leave me," she said as an example, "it's just not what big brothers do." She concluded sweetly.

"But why did he leave?" T.K. all but shouted, he could feel the warm tears surfacing and defiantly blinked them back.

At this, Kari had no answer. She honestly had no suggestions to fill the void of silence that plagued them after the question was asked. She bit her lower lip and kicked at some loose dirt on the ground.

"I know why." T.K. stated dejectedly, his blue orbs taking on a vacant look. "He's tired of babysitting me."

"Babysitting you?" Kari asked a bit puzzled.

"Yes, he's tired of looking out for me, and I don't blame him." T.K. mumbled amid sniffles. He had not wanted to cry, but to face the reality of his brother's abandonment had brought it on ten-fold.

"Matt doesn't feel that way, I'm sure of it. He loves you too much." Kari insisted.

"I tried to show him. I tried to show everyone that I wasn't a baby anymore…that I could take care of myself. So maybe Matt would be proud of me." he sobbed, finally succumbing to the tears that had overflowed the brims of his eyes and traced their way down the contour of his face, leaving darkened streaks in their wake.

Kari's own eyes began to water. She hated to see her friend like this.

"T.K. don't cry." Patamon pleaded, slowly fluttering off the top of his head. His wings beat the air lightly as he hovered in front of the small boy.

"I escaped Puppetmon, all by myself." He said, wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

T.K. bounded up to the group of kids happily, a look of sheer pride on his face, at having conquered his fears. He alone had confused the evil puppet digimon, and single-handedly escaped the dark master's clutches.

Now he could rejoice, he thought. And Matt will be so proud. He could picture it already, even though he was only mere feet away from his brother and the rest of his friends.

"Wow T.K., you sure are a big boy now." Matt would say. T.K. wore a grin from ear to ear, at the hopes of his brother actually saying that.

But after victoriously approaching the group and telling of his narrow escape, T.K. realized his brother was nowhere to be found.

_He still thinks I'm a baby!_ The golden-haired boy thought. _I haven't proved anything to him! I really thought this would do it, I really thought…hoped…he'd be impressed._ The younger boy sighed at this, and wondered what it would take to be equal in the eyes of his brother.

A loud clap of thunder shook the foundation upon which they stood. Kari glanced upward as Patamon ducked behind T.K., cowering on his shoulder.

"I think we better find shelter. It seems like we're in for rain." Kari advised, grabbing onto T.K.'s tear-soaked sleeve. She directed her eyes back to him. "Don't worry, he _will_ come back…" she trailed off as a droplet of water hit her nose. Blinking, she looked back up at the darkened sky. "…and he _is_ proud of you T.K." she whispered, as she pulled him along towards the others.

His breaths were quick and labored as he tore through the underbrush. Running at full speed had proved more difficult than he had anticipated. Branches and plants with thick thorns tore at his limbs as he raced onward, desperate for shelter, or some sort of clearing to this maze of foliage.

His boots sloshed in the puddles that slowly began to form on the ground and the mud was like suction, pulling the soles of his shoes down into it. Faintly behind him, he could hear the rough footfalls of his companion, struggling to keep up with him, as a flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a rolling thunder, comparable to that of a hungry kuwagamon's belly.

The rain stung his face, as he blindly made his way through the forest. His blonde hair no longer defying gravity as it drooped and stuck to the side of his face and forehead, having been over-absorbed with water, though the tangles still prevailed.

"Matt!" a hoarse voice called to him. "Please stop!" it begged.

But the blonde would hear none of it, as he trekked on, finally being subdued by an upturned tree stump. He hadn't even thought about how long he had been running, or when exactly the rain came until the piece of wood lying idly in his path seemed to snake out and latch onto the cuff of his jeans, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Matt!" his companion cried again, this time with more urgency and sounding much closer. Defeated, the young boy brought himself up and rested on his knees. With a trembling gloved hand, he wiped the grime from his face, and then slowly, pulling the glove off, he ran his hand through his wet hair.

In one fluid motion, he leaned back, using the log he had tripped over for back support, as he brought his knees up to his chest and sat there, letting the rain pummel him from above. He rubbed his arms, letting his hands slide up and down the cold skin. If his arms weren't already covered in scrapes and cuts from the thorns and branches, he was sure that they would have been covered in goose bumps.

He let his ungloved hand trace the outline of one of his larger cuts before bringing it back up eye level. He examined the crimson liquid on his fingertip before sliding his glove back over it. A small chill ran up his spine and he shook uncontrollably until his digimon partner finally arrived.

"Matt?" Gabumon asked, approaching his friend carefully. The boy had been on edge the whole day, and every time he had tried to comfort him or find out what troubled him, he was met with fierce words and a cold stare.

"What!?" Matt snapped, trying to suppress shivers.

Gabumon did not say anything after that, but merely stared at the boy. After some time, the blonde became curious and brought his gaze up towards his friend.

"What?" he said more calmly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Had it not been for the swollen red puffiness surrounding Matt's eyes, Gabumon would have missed the fact that he had been crying altogether, since the rain hid his tears just about as well as he hid his own emotions.

"Why are you doing this?" Gabumon asked, unsure whether it would be wise to inquire about the tears, invisible in the rainwater.

For a long while Matt did not speak. Gabumon, taking that as a sign, did not ask anymore of him. However, if the boy was unwilling to answer, the least he could do was find him shelter from the rain. He became increasingly worried for his digidestined, as his clothes had now become completely drenched, and his skin began to take on a sickly pallor. 

Without another word spoken, besides informing him that he was off to find shelter and would return, Gabumon quickly scurried off into the labyrinth of trees. Matt remained in his sitting position, only moving to rest his chin on his arms, that were now encircling his knees. And even though he fought it as best he could, his eyelids began to sink shut, cutting him off from the outside world.

"Over here!" Tai shouted, as he motioned towards a cave about fifty yards ahead of them. The rain had already begun to fall, as six dripping wet children scurried towards their leader. Kari leading T.K. hand in hand, followed by Izzy who had his laptop tucked under his shirt, clutching it to his chest with both hands, while Joe, Mimi, and Sora trailed in the back with the herd of digimon.

"I told ya I'd find shelter." Tai announced cheerfully.

"Are you sure this cave's safe?" Agumon asked skeptically.

"Of course I'm sure." Tai stated with his usual bravado.

"I don't care what's living in there. They'll have to move over!" Mimi shouted, her hands gripping the edges of her hat so that they covered her ears.

"I have to agree with Mimi." Joe nodded, as he used his shirt to wipe the water from his glasses. "Anything's better than staying out here!"

"Then shall we?" Izzy inquired, as he noticed that all his friends seemed to be in agreement, but none had dared to enter the cave.

"Um…you go first." Sora suggested with a crooked smile.

"Me!?" Izzy blurted, not prepared to be the first offering to any large, angry digimon who may be residing in the cavern.

"Okay, then I'll go!" Tai huffed, feeling very offended that nobody had trusted his judgment, at the same time, he wasn't quite sure he trusted it either. Taking a few shaky steps forward, he turned back to face the rest of the group with a silly grin etched across his face.

"Anyone wanna come with me?"

"Why don't we all go?" Gatomon finally spoke up, becoming annoyed and impatient with their lack of a decision. Not to mention the fact that cats hated water, and her fur was becoming unbearably heavy with all the absorbed water.

"Sounds good to me!" Gomamon chimed, edging a reluctant Joe forward.

And with some hesitation, the children finally entered the dark mouth of the cave.

"At least it's dry." Mimi shivered.

"I'd rather have more light." T.K. whimpered as they went deeper in.

"I can fix that if anyone's got a stick?" Agumon offered.

"Even if we did, it'd be wet and wouldn't work." Tai reminded him.

"I know!" Sora said, "Let's use the light from Izzy's laptop."

"And drain the battery, I don't think so." Izzy rejected the idea.

"Well, then you're the smart one, what do we do?" she quipped.

"We go blindly into unknown danger." He retorted.

"Oh that sounds fun." Mimi shot back.

"Quiet you guys, we won't figure anything out by trading sarcastic remarks." Tai interrupted. For a moment, he was relieved that Matt wasn't here. He knew the blonde boy would be full of colorful comebacks. At the same time, he was a tad bit worried for him, but only for T.K.'s sake. He still couldn't understand how he would just up and leave his brother, especially after he demonstrated enough cunning to escape one of the dark masters.

The same question also tugged at the minds of the other digidestined, though they remained quiet about it, for fear that discussing it openly would upset T.K. further. They could already see what a wreck he was, as he crouched in one particularly dark corner of their shelter, with Patamon resting atop his head. Kari knelt down beside him, trying to speak words of encouragement or comfort, but none could tell which as she spoke too softly for any of them let alone T.K. to hear.

"So we're just going to sleep in these wet clothes?" Mimi interrupted everyone's thoughts.

"It appears so." Izzy stated promptly, "Unless anyone has any more suggestions."

"I bet Matt would know what to do." T.K. mumbled to himself. Even Kari could not hear that remark it was spoken so inaudibly. She then stood up and made her way to her brother, for even though she considered herself to be very bold, the darkness had frightened her and she sought the comfort that only her older brother could give her. As that thought dawned on her, she stole one last glance back at T.K. wondering if Matt served the same purpose for him.

Matt was smart, he knew a lot of things. Or at least that is what T.K. thought. T.K. adored his older brother and either gave him enough credit, or an exaggerated amount of it. The small blonde boy could remember when they had caught fish and Tai was trying to cook them over the fire, by dangling them above the flames by hand. But Matt knew better, and showed them how to roast their meal using sticks.

While he recollected on this another thought crept into the back of his mind that he had not considered before, and that was that it was raining and Matt was out there all by himself with Gabumon.

"Oh no." he muttered, as he stood up and ran back to the entrance of the cave.

"T.K. where are you going?" Joe asked, having seen the boy from the corner of his eye. They had already lost one digidestined due to his oversight, and Joe was determined not to let it happen again, especially with said digidestined's little brother.

"I have to find Matt." T.K. called back, as his footsteps echoed against the hollows of the cave.

"Wait!" Joe cried, this time alerting the rest of the digidestined.

Before anyone could react, Tai had already taken off in hot pursuit, followed by Sora, and Kari.

"Humans can be so confusing." Gomamon commented.

"Why is that Izzy?" Tentomon queried, but received no answer as the red-headed boy followed in suit behind the others.

"Wait T.K." Patamon said, finally taking action. He swooped in front of the entrance, refusing to let the small boy pass. It was as if they were dancing, as T.K. darted to one side, only to be blocked by a persistent Patamon, then he would recoil and make his way to the other side, but everywhere he went, Patamon was a flap ahead of him.

"Let me out Patamon!" the boy finally cried.

"It's too dangerous out there. It's raining and it's cold!" the bat-like digimon reasoned.

"All the more reason why I gotta find Matt!" T.K. urged, near tears.

"Matt can take care of himself." The voice from behind growled. T.K. turned to see the wild haired boy with goggles staring down at him with frustration in his eyes.

He was about to tell T.K. what kind of a brother he thought Matt really was, but stifled the temptation as a small hand tugged at the bottom of his shorts. Tai looked down to see his little sister, shaking her head, her eyes filled with compassion.

The older boy bit the inside of his cheek, then knelt down, resting one hand on T.K.'s shoulder.

He looked into the crystal pools of blue that were T.K.'s eyes and tried to choose his next words carefully. Dammit, why did Matt have to go and do this? He sighed heavily and opened his mouth to speak, when he thought he saw a blur of grayish-blue fur flit by the opening of the cave.

Tai blinked and shook his head. For a minute, he could have sworn he had seen Gabumon.

"Matt?" T.K. called, as he turned to look over his shoulder, mistaking Tai's bewilderment for some sighting of his brother.

His head then drooped, as he realized the only thing out there was forest and rain.

"Come on." Tai said, wrapping his arm around T.K.'s shoulder. "Matt has Gabumon with him, he'll be okay. And we can look for him in the morning." The older boy assured.

"Really?" T.K. asked, wanting to make certain he had heard correctly.

"Yeah." Tai nodded as he led the boy back into the depths of the cave, following the others.

T.K. trotted along beside the older boy and Tai had not paid too much heed to him until he felt a small hand grasp his firmly. Tai continued to walk, but his pace slowed to a crawl. Finally he came to a dead halt.

"Do you care what happens to Matt?" the small boy asked tentatively, his voice falling short of a whisper.

"Well…I'm the leader aren't I?" Tai stated matter-of-factly. "And that comes with the responsibility of looking after everyone…so yeah…I guess I do care what happens to Matt."

T.K. furrowed his brow as if the answer Tai supplied him either did not please him or had failed to satisfy his curiosity.

"But if you weren't the leader…then would you still care?" he asked, his voice becoming a timid squeak.

Tai couldn't understand whether the waver in the boy's voice was caused by the darkness surrounding them, or for fear of what he might receive as an answer.

This time Tai knelt in front of him. Of course by now, T.K.'s head no longer faced up, but remained fixed on the ground, his chin buried in his chest.

"Hey." Tai said, using a gloved hand to tilt the boy's head up so that they were eye level with one another.

"Your brother and I may have our differences, and we can both be stubborn as mules…but I would never want for anything bad to happen to him." As these words left him, Tai felt as though a great burden had been lifted. Perhaps all along, he felt as though T.K. thought he hated Matt, and now finally being able to explain to the child, that they were not sworn enemies made him feel somewhat better.

T.K. studied Tai's chocolate brown eyes for a moment. They reminded him a great deal of Kari's, with so much spirit and resoluteness hidden behind them. The small boy had to admit, Tai was a lot better with his words, even if he rushed head on into danger without so much as a second look, the exact opposite of Matt. Sure, his brother was a little more cautious around danger, but he could never express himself in words the way Tai did. For what he lacked in tactful speaking, Matt made up for in music. T.K. always believed that his brother's soul spoke through his music.

T.K. finally nodded, seemingly satisfied with this response. "Are we cool?" Tai asked extending his fist out to the younger boy.

"Yeah, we're cool." T.K. grinned, tapping Tai's fist lightly with his, as the older boy did the same in return. Then Tai stood, and the two headed forward to join the other children.

_It's so cold._ He thought. _I hope Tai found a safe, warm place for the others…for T.K._ His mind continued to churn with thoughts of his brother, as well as the other children. He assumed he was asleep, but not so much that he was unaware of things around him. This was not a deep sleep; more like a light slumber. He could still hear the raindrops cascading down, the leaves rustling as the water hit them, and surely he could feel the water, but his eyelids refused to open. He wished that Gabumon would return soon and wake him, he felt too vulnerable in his present state, and besides he had to admit that he was a little frightened, but more than that, he was lonely. A loud cracking noise immediately alerted his senses; someone or something was coming towards him, and clearing the way as they did so. He hoped it was Gabumon and forced his eyes to open.

They slid partially open, and his eyes scanned the trees and surrounding foliage, but saw nothing.

"Guess who." A high-pitched voice giggled as two scruffy hands covered Matt's eyes.

He instantly shot up in surprise and then immediately regretted it as sitting in the cold wet weather had caused his muscles to stiffen up. A light groan escaped him as he reached behind and yanked the strange creature off his back.

He recognized the voice even before he had gotten a better look at him.

"Puppetmon!" Matt sneered vehemently.

"You're not T.K." the puppet digimon hissed.

"Well that's obvious, you know there is a difference in height." The blonde retorted, now he really wished Gabumon were here.

"I've been looking all over for that little runt! He abandoned me! And we didn't finish our game!" Puppetmon screamed furiously, and this was even enough to make Matt shrink back in fear. The rain seemed to beat down all the more harder as Puppetmon's fury rose.

"He promised me!" the marionette-like digimon hollered as he swung his mallet at the blonde.

Instinctively, Matt lunged backwards, inadvertently falling over the same tree stump a second time. He landed on his back hard, causing a whimper of pain in the back of his throat.

"I guess you'll have to do." The evil digimon snickered, bringing the mighty weapon down again, this time Matt quickly shoved himself back, as the hammer connected with the log, splintering it into hundreds of pieces, narrowly missing his legs.

In this position, the water pelted his face undauntedly, making it difficult, if not impossible to see his attacker. He blinked his eyes a few times and desperately swiped at them with his hands, before quickly scrambling to his feet.

"Where are you!?" he screamed, his voice echoing throughout the woods as he realized his assailant was nowhere in sight. For a long time he stood absolutely still, listening and watching for any sign of the evil digimon. His breaths once again became labored; as his shoulders rolled up and down with each intake and expulsion of air, further elaborating on his panicked condition. 

Suddenly the sound of laughter bounced off the forest walls and was carried by the harsh wind that sprang up through the trees.

Finally Matt could take it no longer and broke off in a sprint. He had to get out of this forest. If he thought he stood any chance of defeating Puppetmon, or outsmarting him, it would have to be on clear ground.

He stumbled along blindly as the sky grew darker overhead.

"Where are you going Matt!?" the menacing voice taunted. "Come back and play with me!"

"Shut up!" Matt screamed, clutching the sides of his head, trying to block out the hideous voice.

"Well, if you won't play with me, then I guess I'll have to find T.K.!" Puppetmon threatened.

Matt stopped dead in his tracks and whirled around. "Don't you touch my brother!" he shouted, clenching his fists. This had been exactly what Puppetmon was waiting for as he leapt down from the treetops and with one swift blow brought Matt to his knees.

The blonde boy couldn't fully register what had just happened to him, but could faintly hear a cracking noise reverberating in his eardrums. His head swam as he dropped to his knees. He tried to move to look up, and that's when the pain hit him. He arched his back and let out a horrific scream, which was drowned out by a rolling thunder, before falling to the ground.

A throbbing ache replaced the sharp pain that had stricken him before, as he lay on the forest floor, while the rain continued its onslaught upon his body. The cold water mingling with the trail of blood that had begun to form down his neck.

Something knelt on the ground beside him. His eyes kept focusing and refocusing so that he could not make out what it was, but he did not need his sight to tell him Puppetmon was hovering over him, grinning maliciously.

"What do you want from me?" he said weakly, feeling as if the blackness would overcome him any second, but frantically fought it back into submission.

"You're no fun to play with if you're dead." The digimon whispered into his ear. "But then again I've always been known to break my toys." He cackled.

Matt squeezed his eyes shut as the incessant laughter hurt his fragile eardrums. If Puppetmon kept this up, Matt would welcome death, anything to get him to shut up.

"Oh, what's this?" Puppetmon prodded the young boy curiously. "A new toy." He announced as he snatched Matt's digivice from his belt loop.

"No." Matt groaned, reaching a shaky hand up to stop him, but failing miserably.

"This is the thing with all the power!" Puppetmon smirked once he realized what he had in his possession. "Maybe if I digivolved, I would become stronger than the other dark masters." He hissed. "Make me digivolve NOW!" the feisty digimon ordered, kicking Matt in the ribcage.

The young boy clenched his teeth in order to suppress crying out in pain.

"I can't." Matt squeaked as he attempted to roll over onto his back.

"What do you mean you can't!?" Puppetmon exploded in rage, as he eyed the boy intently.

The blonde was finally able to roll onto his back and propped himself up on his elbows. He winced as he reached one hand around and lightly touched the spot where Puppetmon had struck him on the side of his head.

"Oh I see…you and your brother are a lot alike. You think you can play games with me!" he growled. "Well I'm not falling for it this time!" he yelled, and grabbed a handful of Matt's hair, using it to drag him along the forest floor.

"NO!" Matt yelped, clutching at the digimon's wooden hands. He tried in vain to get him to release his grip. Matt writhed in pain, struggling to get free, until apparently they had reached their destination, which to the blonde's relief was not far.

"So you won't help me digivolve?" Puppetmon seethed.

"I told you! I can't!" Matt exclaimed, rubbing the top of his head where his hair had viciously been yanked. His hand slowly slid down to where he had been injured previously, he could feel a large welt surfacing, but at least the blood had ceased to flow. He figured Puppetmon must have not hit him too hard, because undoubtedly if he had it would have fractured the young boy's skull as it had done with the tree stump.

Matt's vision was still a bit hazy as he tried to stand. He noticed, however, that the rain seemed to have let up. Maybe he could make a run for it while the toy-like digimon's back was turned. That's what T.K. had done, he thought. Before Matt could devise any other plan, Puppetmon lashed out at him, using his puppet strings to gain control of Matt's limbs. He swung him towards a nearby tree with potent force.

The young boy slammed into the tree, emitting a ghastly thud, and remained there as Puppetmon held him in place.

Matt winced as the bark of the tree grated into his skin.

"Now will you digivolve me?" the puppet asked in a demanding voice.

The blonde looked at him forlornly. "I told you before, I'm not capable of doing that. It only works on my digimon."

"Liar!" he accused, heaving him into another tree. This time Matt hit it head on. He would have cried out, had it not knocked the wind out of him. With a wiggle of his fingers, Puppetmon let the boy fall to the ground, gasping for air.

"If you can't help me then you are useless to me digidestined!" Puppetmon screamed, as if he were the one hurting.

Matt wheezed and choked, like an old car engine on it's last legs. It felt as though his lungs had collapsed, and he couldn't move, nor could he call for help in his present condition, and Puppetmon drew ever closer.

_Gabumon, where are you?_ His mind cried.

"Matt!" Gabumon cried, running through the blinding torrent of rain. He had found a cave, and he knew his partner would not like the fact that the other children were also there, but he knew that running away from your problems was just as bad as sitting out in the rain and getting horribly sick.

"He's in danger!" the wolf-like digimon shuddered. "I can sense it. Matt!! Where are you!" he shouted frantically, as he bounded over rocks and plants that had fallen onto the path.

"And if he's in danger, why can't I digivolve?" Gabumon wondered as he stumbled into the clearing where he had left his digidestined.

"He's not here." The grayish blue monster said with fear in his voice. He searched the area hysterically. His only clue was the splintered log where he had left Matt. Gabumon's big brown eyes welled up with tears. He didn't know where Matt was or how to help him. He couldn't even relish in the fact that the rain had stopped pouring.

"Here!" the angry digimon shouted as he chucked Matt's digivice at him. The blonde winced as it hit him on the side of his ribs that Puppetmon had kicked earlier. The Dark Master loomed over him, a malicious gleam caught his eye as he picked up his hammer and poised it over the young boy's chest.

It was then the bearer of friendship finally regained his breath, but found he had not the strength to scream. Desperately, he fumbled in the pocket of his jeans. His hand clamped down tightly on a cool piece of metal as he withdrew his harmonica. He quickly brought the instrument to his lips, and taking the deepest breath he could manage, blew into it hard. The musical note resonated amid the trees, as his last plea for help went out.

Gabumon's head shot up, and in a heartbeat, he was tearing through the trees in the direction of the sound.

The evil digimon let forth a sinister laugh. "You think that's going to help you!" he chuckled, preparing to bring the massive hammer down for a fatal blow.

In one hand, Matt clutched his harmonica tightly, and in the other was his digivice that glowed neon blue and screamed to life.

"Gabumon digivolve to….Garurumon!" the bearer of friendship's digimon cried out.

Puppetmon stared on in shock as he was assaulted with a howling blaster from the wolf guardian. His hammer was knocked from his hands as he jumped back in fear.

"Not fair! Not fair!" the dark master whined. "I'll be back!" he shouted angrily, as he fetched up his weapon and darted off into the trees.

Puppetmon was the least of Garurumon's concerns at the moment as he padded over to the blonde who lay very still in a puddle of mud and leaves, his chest rising and falling steadily.

"Are you alright?" he growled, nudging the boy with his nose.

Matt reached up and stroked his digimon affectionately. "I'm okay now." He managed a small smile before slipping off into the dark abyss of his mind.

Garurumon gazed at him with concern. Carefully, he picked the boy up with his teeth, using the collar of Matt's shirt to hoist him onto his back. He squeezed his eyes shut at the taste of blood that had found its way to his tongue.

"Hold on." He murmured instruction to the unconscious blonde.

Without waking, Matt involuntarily gripped the soft fur on Garurumon's back, all the while still holding his digivice and harmonica. With little effort, the wolf guardian thrust off, picking up speed as he whipped in and around the trees towards his destination.

The thunder rumbled in the sky, and a flash of lightning lit up the heavens as he leapt over a ridge and landed smoothly, never missing a beat. The rain began to spot his white fur with streaks of gray as he raced onward, the weight of his digidestined comforting him as he loped along.

It had to have been nearly midnight by T.K.'s reckoning, and yet he still could not sleep. The weather had gone calm for a while, but now the rain seemed to be pouring from the sky once again. He rubbed his eyes, which had already adjusted to the dark, and scanned his surroundings. Kari and Tai lay huddled together with their digimon, and seeing this, T.K. wished his brother were there. His eyes fell on Mimi and Palmon, then Sora and Biyomon, and farther off Izzy curled up with his laptop as Tentomon slept beside him. And last was Joe. T.K. for unknown reasons hid a smile as the older boy rolled over on top of Gomamon, squashing the poor creature. Gomamon's eyes bugged out, and his little claws scratched the cave floor desperately as he tried to pull himself from underneath his digidestined. T.K. smiled with relief when he finally managed to escape, slapping Joe upside the head with one of his flippers as he did. Joe awoke with a start and looked at his digimon groggily, trying to understand what happened. He then gave up and rolled back over.

Lightning crashed outside, causing T.K. to tremble ever so slightly. He crawled closer to the mouth of the cave to peer out, leaving Patamon fast asleep in the corner. The golden-haired boy let out a shriek and stumbled back as lightning flickered, illuminating a dark figure looming in the pale light of the entrance.

T.K.'s eyes went wide and he scurried over to Tai, shaking him madly until his eyes cracked open.

"What is it T.K.?" he asked irritably.

"There's a monster out there! It's coming!" T.K. squealed. Tai immediately shot up at the frantic boy's cries. T.K.'s alarm also managed to rouse the other digidestined. They all yawned and sat up rubbing their eyes or stretching.

"It's too late for a battle." Mimi whined.

"Over there." T.K. pointed to the figure in the shadows, slowly approaching them.

Tai sprang into action, until he heard a snoring sound. Looking down he saw Agumon still sleeping. Tai gave him a gentle kick to wake him.

"Some protector you are."

"What?" Agumon yawned.

"Have no fear." Garurumon said in his usual growl-like voice.

"Garurumon?" Tentomon queried, hovering over his chosen child.

The wolf grunted in reply.

"Where's Matt!?" T.K. cried rushing forward.

Tai wondered the same thing himself. Now that he was awake, he had a few choice words he'd like to express to the bearer of friendship.

"Wait a minute." Mimi chimed, "If you're Garurumon then something must have happened." She whimpered, dreading the worst.

Garurumon sighed heavily before laying on the ground. He rolled his back gently, as a small form tumbled down. He used his head to cushion the fall, as he gently lay Matt down.

"I think he'll be okay." The digimon said skeptically. He hadn't a clue how serious Matt's injuries may be, and didn't want to upset his younger brother.

At seeing this, and understanding what Mimi had said, Tai's features softened.

"Matt!?" T.K. cried running over to meet his fallen brother. He went to grab his hands and found they were full. Reaching for his brother's digivice, he carefully secured it back onto his belt loop. As for the harmonica, T.K. cradled it in his own hand as if it were something sacred.

"Matt?" he whispered, shaking the boy lightly. His brother let out a small groan and lifted his eyelids slowly.

Everything appeared fuzzy, as he willed his eyes to focus on the figure standing before him.

"T.K.?" Matt blinked. Before Matt could utter another word, his brother had him in a tight embrace. The older boy tensed up, as the hug caused newfound pain in his ribs, but he ignored it as best he could.

"Well Joe, he's awake." Gomamon said, poking the older boy's leg. "Better go show off your medical expertise." He grinned.

Joe stared down at the aquatic digimon wryly. "I still need more light than this." he said motioning towards the cave walls.

"I guess this is worth wasting the battery." Izzy sighed in defeat as he flipped on his laptop, the blue glow engulfing the bearer of friendship.

T.K. made his way over to face Garurumon. He reached up as a child would when he wanted to be lifted by his parents, but instead Garurumon lowered his head, and T.K. snuggled up to him. "Thank you." He whispered, causing the wolf digimon to smile.

It was close to dawn when Joe had finally finished his inspection and assessment of Matt's condition. Only a few scrapes, some small cuts, and a bruise here or there, that would heal quickly. His biggest concern was for the welt on the back of the boy's head, but with the proper care and a cold compress, the swelling would eventually go down and he'd be in for a speedy recovery.

The others had fallen asleep long ago, leaving only the worrisome T.K. awake, as well as Tai.

"What do you suppose happened to him?" Joe asked, as he turned off Izzy's computer and quietly shut the lid.

Tai yawned, "I'm not sure, but I guess we'll find out here soon," he said as the first rays of sunlight lit up the sky.

Sometime between Joe's examination and his bandaging, Matt had fallen asleep once again. By this time, Garurumon had de-digivolved, and now a sleeping Gabumon lay beside the older blonde.

Gabumon was the first of the two to stir. He let out a huge yawn, revealing a large set of teeth.

"So," Tai said, crawling over to him with curious eyes. "Mind explaining how this all came to be?"

Gabumon's eyes lit up in surprise. "What, I don't even get breakfast before the interrogation?"

Tai chuckled, "Well, we would like to know what happened, and I doubt we'll get many answers outta "da Man" over there, when he finally does wake up." The wild-haired boy said, indicating Matt's sleeping form.

"Well…alright." The rookie digimon agreed hesitantly. "But he'll probably be very angry at me for telling you guys."

"Yeah, so when isn't he angry?" Tai said folding his arms and awaited Gabumon's explanation.

The three children sat in wonder as Gabumon explained everything, well as best as he could since he wasn't there when Puppetmon had captured Matt. After his story, the other children finally started to stir, Matt included.

"So that was you!" Tai exclaimed cheerfully, bringing up his Gabumon sighting.

"Uh huh." He nodded.

Matt dreaded waking up as much as he dreaded meeting up with Puppetmon again. He knew he'd be questioned about why he left, and if Gabumon hadn't already relinquished the story of his injuries, he knew he'd be prodded about that as well. He had already run away once, so it would do him no good now to attempt it again. Besides, he considered he did owe T.K. some sort of explanation, after witnessing the worry in the boy's eyes last night as Joe tended to his wounds.

"Good morning big brother!" T.K. chirped as he pounced upon Matt, despite Joe's warning of being too rough.

Matt's eyes rolled back, he couldn't believe T.K. still thought so highly of him.

"Hey squirt." He managed before the onslaught of questions began.

"You know you could have just talked to one of us." Sora said shaking her head. "That's what friends are here for."

"Well maybe he had his reasons." Joe defended, knowing how difficult it was to express one's feelings, he especially to his father.

"Still, he shouldn't have left without saying anything." Tai added. "You had your brother worried sick, not to mention a few of us." Tai accused.

Matt's head felt as if it were about to explode, all the accusations, and finger pointing was driving him insane.

"Stop it already!" he cried fiercely. Suddenly, unsure of why, he felt very weak, and just wanted to be left alone. Clutching his stomach and using one hand to support himself against the cave walls he made his way outside.

Tai ceased his remarks and just stared after the boy blankly, as did everyone else save T.K.

"Don't worry, I'm not running off again." He spat angrily before turning the corner and disappearing from sight.

While it seemed as though everyone else was about to give up, T.K. was determined to find out what troubled his brother and resolutely took off after him.

Matt stumbled out into the bright sunlight. The landscape looked one hundred percent better than it had the day prior. It seemed as though the rain washed away all the filth, leaving nothing but lush green foliage, dark cool earth, and a clear blue sky.

The cave had been located on an embankment, where a little dirt path led out away to a small incline. Though sore and achy, Matt managed to hike up to the top of the grassy slope overlooking an enormous canyon that spanned as far as his eyes could see and even further. He settled down on the very edge of the cliff, letting his legs dangle precariously over the side, as he watched the sun makes its journey over the east hills.

In the daylight, he was able to get a better look at his injuries, as he traced his hand over the bandaged parts of his arms. His head didn't seem to throb nearly so much as it had the night before, but it was still tender to the touch, and he avoided moving it as much as possible. His clothes were a mess, in some places tattered, and in others caked with mud. He could already guess what his hair looked like without having to see it. Was he just being childish when he left the group? At the moment he was so confused. To make matters worse, he couldn't even protect himself from a digimon that his little brother had easily escaped.

His hand slowly reached down into his pocket, and a heavy sigh followed as his hand came out empty. The blue eyes that usually held so much spirit clouded over in dismay. He had lost his harmonica, alongside his dignity, he thought. This discovery had really hurt, for he was inclined to play the instrument to ease his mind, but he presumed nothing short of a miracle would bring it back. He didn't even know where he had assumingly dropped it. Perhaps when Garurumon had lifted him onto his back, but no…he remembered holding onto it fiercely even though he was barely conscious.

The older blonde craned his head ever so slightly as the sound of soft footsteps in the grass alerted him to somebody's presence.

"Matt." T.K. said cheerfully. "I finally found you." He panted, out of breath from his hike. Matt figured that this hadn't been the first place his brother went in search of him. 

"Did you come to chew me out too squirt?" Matt asked timidly, almost expecting his brother to say yes.

"No, of course not." T.K. smiled, thinking he had meant it as a joke. It seemed like nothing could break the kid's enthusiasm. Here his poor excuse for a brother had run away only to return a haggard mess, and still he found reason to smile.

"I came to bring you this." he said, presenting Matt with a small metallic instrument.

"My harmonica? Where did you find it?" Matt asked, accepting it gratefully.

"You were holding it last night when Garurumon brought you to us. I'm sorry I took it, I should have asked, but you were hurt and couldn't really talk much."

"Thanks kid." Matt said, playfully ruffling the boy's hair. T.K. had taken his hat off the night before because it was soaked, and had left it back in the cave to dry.

T.K. flopped down next to his brother and leaned up against him.

"Why did you leave?" he asked, not looking up.

Matt felt his heart ache at the question. _Why had he gone?_ "I don't know T.K." he replied.

"Was it because of me?" he offered.

Matt bit his lower lip. "Well, yes and no."

"I knew it!" T.K. announced as though he had hit the jackpot.

"Wait, T.K. It's probably not for the reasons you think." Matt tried to explain, but before he could, T.K. interrupted.

"I know I'm a bother to you Matt. That's what Tai said, he said you treat me more like a bother than a brother, but I just wanted you to be proud of me." the boy blurted. At this Matt was at a loss for words, so the younger boy continued.

"I escaped Puppetmon all by myself." He said proudly, "But I guess that wasn't enough to impress you." He sighed.

Matt was deeply touched by T.K.'s last words. "You wanted to impress me? Why would you want to do that?"

"I just wanted to be as brave as you are, and I wanted you to be proud of me." he repeated.

"T.K. I am proud of you." Matt urged. Right then, he did not feel as brave as T.K. made him out to be, if any thing he felt more of a coward.

"Look at all you've done and all you've been through." Matt continued, "And all you have to show for it." this he said with a heavy heart, for one of the reasons he left was because he hadn't felt like he had anything to show for all his trials and tribulations. It seemed like everyone was changing, but him.

"You've really grown up." He concluded.

"I have?" T.K.'s eyes sparkled at this observation.

"Sure you have. You beat Puppetmon at his own game, you said so yourself." Matt forced a grin.

"I did, didn't I?" T.K. smiled, snuggling up closer to his brother. Even though the sun was up, there was a faint chill in the air that morning, and T.K.'s clothes were still damp.

"I'm glad you're back Matt. And I'm glad I know what was bothering you." The child said. In actuality, they had not even begun to scratch the surface of Matt's inner turmoil. But T.K. did not have to know that, the fact that he thought he knew was good enough for Matt without elaborating on it. Really, they had only solved T.K.'s insecurities, but the older boy was willing to leave it at that.

"Matt?" T.K. murmured.

"Yeah squirt?" his brother responded.

"Will you play for me?" he asked, quietly yawning. He had not gotten much sleep if any the night before and felt very tired.

Matt answered by bringing his harmonica to his lips as a soft melody issued forth from the instrument. It started out slow and relaxing, until T.K. fell asleep beside his brother. As the sun rose higher in the sky and the winds picked up a bit, the song changed. Sad and mournful notes floated through the breeze, intertwining with Matt's tears and T.K.'s soft breathing. And the wind howled through the branches and leaves, as if answering the sorrow-filled song. 

Fin

We (Kodachrome, raine, and sailormoonshadow)are having a season one contest and here are the rules.  
-Must take place in season one.  
-Little to no romance, we just don't want it to be the focus of the fic.  
-PG 13 and below ratings  
-Can be one shot or chapters  
-AU's and What If's are welcome  
-All fics must be fully posted by March 30th 2002  
Prize  
-Kodachrome and sailormoonshadow will draw pics along with the winning fics  
-All judges will collaborate with a fic of the winners choice (sorry no yaoi or yuri here)  
  
Enter  
-Email any of us or review the story 'In a New Light'(sailormoonshadow's) or 'For What It's Worth' (Kodachrome's)  
*Hint if you've read our fics you know what we like so it doesnt' hurt to stack the deck with our favs!  
GOOD LUCK

And for my closing note, please do not ask me why I titled the story the way I did, if you really wish to know, it shall involve a rather lengthy email. R+R please! And consider the 01 contest! J


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